Death's Rival

Praise for the

Novels of Faith Hunter

Raven Cursed

“Faith Hunter has outdone herself in
Raven Cursed
. . . . A master of plotting, Hunter hooks the reader from the first line, weaving
in enough complex layers to keep the reader guessing and turning pages. My one caution
is to start this book early unless you don’t mind staying up all night . . . rife
with snarky dialogue, vivid descriptions, and enough hairpin turns to keep a fantastic
driver busy.”

—SF Site

“Faith Hunter is on my list of the top ten urban fantasy writers today. . . .
Raven Cursed
was amazing and I can give it nothing less than five stars!”

—Night Owl Reviews

Mercy Blade

“Fans of Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock novels will gobble down
Mercy Blade
, the third installment in this series, which has all the complexity, twists, and
surprises readers have come to expect . . . a thrill ride from start to finish . . .
Hunter has an amazing talent for capturing mood.”

—SF Site

“There was something about the Jane Yellowrock series that drew me in from the very
beginning. That hunch was solidified with each book I read into a feeling of utter
confidence in the author. . . .
Mercy Blade
is top-notch, a five-star book!”

—Night Owl Reviews

“I was delighted to have the opportunity to read another Jane Yellowrock adventure.
I was not disappointed, but was somewhat overwhelmed by the obvious growth in Faith
Hunter’s writing skill.”

—
San Francisco Book Review

“A thrilling novel. . . . Fans of suspenseful tales filled with vampires, weres, and
more will enjoy this book. Jane is a strong heroine who knows how to take charge of
a situation and kick butt if necessary.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“Faith Hunter has created one of my favorite characters, ever. Jane Yellowrock is
full of contradictions. . . . As with the other books in the series, good and evil
are far from clear-cut, with sympathetic villains and many fascinating characters
with shades of gray. Highly recommended.”

—Fresh Fiction

Blood Cross

“Mystery and action are at the forefront here, but the romance from the first book
continues to build slowly. Readers eager for the next book in Patricia Briggs’s Mercy
Thompson series may want to give Faith Hunter a try.”

—
Library Journal

“In a genre flooded with strong, sexy females, Jane Yellowrock is unique. . . . Her
bold first-person narrative shows that she’s one tough cookie, but with a likeable
vulnerability . . . a pulse-pounding, page-turning adventure.”

—
Romantic Times

Skinwalker

“Seriously. Best urban fantasy I’ve read in years, possibly ever.”

—C. E. Murphy, author of
Walking Dead

“A fantastic start to the Jane Yellowrock series. Mixing fantasy with a strong mystery
story line and a touch of romance, it ticks all the right urban fantasy boxes.”

—LoveVampires

“Stunning . . . plot and descriptions so vivid, they might as well be pictures or
videos. Hunter captures the reader’s attention from the first page and doesn’t let
go.”

—SF Site

“A fabulous tale with a heroine who clearly has the strength to stand on her own . . .
a wonderfully detailed and fast-moving adventure that fills the pages with murder,
mystery, and fascinating characters.”

—Darque Reviews

“A promising new series with a strong heroine. . . . Jane is smart, quick, witty,
and I look forward to reading more about her as she discovers more about herself.”

—Fresh Fiction

Host

“Hunter’s world continues to expand in this highly original fantasy with lively characters
where nothing can ever be taken for granted.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Hunter has created a remarkable interpretation of the aftermath of Armageddon in
which angels and devils once again walk the earth and humans struggle to find a place.
Stylish storytelling and gripping drama make this a good addition to most fantasy
collections.”

—
Library Journal

“Readers will admire [Thorn’s] sacrifice [in] placing others before herself. . . .
Fans will enjoy reading about the continuing end of days.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“With fast-paced action and the possibility of more romance, this is an enjoyable
read with an alluring magical touch.”

—Darque Reviews

Seraphs

“The world [Hunter] has created is unique and bleak . . . [an] exciting science fiction
thriller.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Continuing the story begun in
Bloodring
, Hunter expands on her darkly alluring vision of a future in which the armies of
good and evil wage their eternal struggle in the world of flesh and blood. Strong
characters and a compelling story.”

—
Library Journal

“This thrilling dark fantasy has elements of danger, adventure, and religious fanaticism,
plus sexual overtones. Hunter’s impressive narrative skills vividly describe a changed
world, and she artfully weaves in social commentary . . . a well-written, exciting
novel.”

—
Romantic Times

Bloodring

“A bold interpretation of the what-might-be. . . . With a delicate weaving of magic
and Scripture, Faith Hunter left me wondering: What’s a woman to do when she falls
in love with a seraph’s child?”

—Kim Harrison

“Entertaining . . . outstanding supporting characters. . . . The strong cliff-hanger
of an ending bodes well for future adventures.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Hunter’s distinctive future vision offers a fresh though dark glimpse into a newly
made postapocalyptic world. Bold and imaginative in approach, with appealing characters
and a suspense-filled story, this belongs in most fantasy collections.”

—
Library Journal

“It’s a pleasure to read this engaging tale about characters connected by strong bonds
of friendship and family. Mixes romance, high fantasy, apocalyptic, and postapocalyptic
adventure to good effect.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“Hunter’s very professionally executed, tasty blend of dark fantasy, mystery, and
romance should please fans of all three genres.”

—
Booklist

“Enjoyable . . . a tale of magic and secrets in a world gone mad.”

—
Romantic Times

A
LSO BY
F
AITH
H
UNTER

The Jane Yellowrock Novels

Skinwalker

Blood Cross

Mercy Blade

Cat Tales
(a short story compilation)

Raven Cursed

Have Stakes Will Travel
(a short story compilation)

The Rogue Mage Novels

Bloodring

Seraphs

Host

DEATH’S RIVAL

A Jane Yellowrock Novel

Faith Hunter

ROC

Published by New American Library, a division of New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3,
Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin
Books Ltd.)

Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi – 110
017, India

Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division
of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg
2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Copyright © Faith Hunter, 2012

Excerpt from
Bloodring
copyright © Faith Hunter, 2006

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed
in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in
or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
Purchase only authorized editions.

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the
product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance
to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility
for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

To my own Renaissance Man,

who takes me Class III kayaking, Zip-lining through mountain trees, who writes the
songs, and rubs my feet.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A book is not a solo endeavor; it takes a village. In addition to all the usual suspects,
I am giving a huge “thank-you” to my editor at Roc Books, Jessica Wade. This book
was so complicated in terms of the progression of the clues, that it needed a lot
of work and effort from outside sources (read: fresh, well-trained, professional eyes).You
are the BEST! I also must thank the wonderful copy editor, Dan Larsen, who caught
dozens of errors. Jesse Feldman was a huge help, and ferried requests to all the right
people. To Rosanne Romanello—thank you for letting me use your name and some personal
details for the vamp MOC character in Sedona. You were great. As always, my agent,
Lucienne Diver of the Knight Agency, was invaluable. I literally (koff-koff) could
not have written
Death’s Rival
without all of you. My humble thanks.

And I wish a huge thank-you to my fans. You made Jane Yellowrock a bestseller. You
told your friends, you shared your excitement for her and for Beast and Leo and Bruiser
and Rick and Molly and Angelina and . . . all the others. You took Jane to the stars,
and I know how much I owe you, each and every one. So to honor that trust, I promise
to write the very best book I can, every single time. No cutting corners. No silliness.
No stupidity. My word of honor.